Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition

Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition Review

The nuvi 855 arrived about one week before our planned trip to SE Utah. Learning the basic commands took less than an hour. The next day I took the nuvi along on some local errands and was pleasantly surprised with the numerous displays of local content and side roads yet to be explored. However, the most impressive feature feature was the rapid route "recalculation" done whenever I intentionally chose a road other than the one initially suggested.

Once we were on the road to Utah, the nuvi display information was even more helpful than expected. The nuvi calculated mph was actually more accurate than our RV's speedometer and the display of local speed limits was very helpful. Also loved the "estimated time of arrival" feature which helped us determine our targets for the next overnite destination. The POI lisitng for fuel stops, restaurants and services were also very helpful.

My wife and I both love exploring backroads and out of the way places, so the part we appreciated most was the freedom to head "off-track" and have the nuvi quickly reroute us and update the eta, so we felt confident we would eventually find our way back to the original destination. Great fun.

Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition Feature

• Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock
• Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6-million name-searchable points of interest
• Speech recognition--speak menu options and keep your eyes on the road
• Multi-destination routing--enter several destinations and get the best route to all of them; "Where am I?" and "Where's my car?" features
• Full feature set--text to speech for spoken directions with real street names; MP3 player, and Photo viewer

Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition Overview

Garmin International's nüvi 855 is a GPS navigator and personal travel assistant featuring voice-activated navigation and lane assist with junction view. Navigate with confidence while nüvi directs you to the preferred lane while driving. Also, see realistic images of upcoming junctions where available.

Lane assist guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. Click to enlarge

Junction View gives you a photo-realistic screen that shows you both the road detail as well as the signs as you will see them on the road. Click to enlarge

This advanced model feature voice-activated navigation and lane assist with junction view. Click to enlarge

The nüvi 855 offers full coverage mapping for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The preloaded map data features nearly six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions. The map data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.

Simply speaking, nüvi 855 is one advanced navigator. It features voice-activated navigation, a widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter and more. Like the rest of the wide nüvi 800-series, just speak a menu option and nüvi obeys your command.

Speak Commands
nüvi 855 not only tells you where to turn but listens to your spoken commands. With nüvi's innovative speech recognition, you safely control nüvi's interface with your voice--allowing you to keep both hands on the wheel. Simply press the button on the remote (which attaches to the steering wheel) to activate speech recognition and begin speaking menu options. nüvi even recognizes shortcut phrases for popular functions. Tell nüvi "Find Address" and speak an address to start navigating.

See More
With nüvi 855's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read--from any direction.

Know the Lane Before It's Too Late
nüvi 855 takes navigation to the next level with lane assist. No more guessing which lane you need to be in to make an upcoming turn. Lane assist guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. It realistically displays road signs and junctions on your route along with arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation.

And with the 3D Lane Assist Junction View, you'll be able to see a photo-realistic screen that shows you both the road detail as well as the signs as you will see them on the road. The signs that aren't needed for navigation are faded compared to the appropriate lane signage.

Navigate With Ease
nüvi 855 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps and millions of points of interest (POIs) such as hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs and more. Speak a menu option or touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 855 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

Where am I?
Keep track of yourself and your car with nüvi 855. Just speak or tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. nüvi 855 even remembers where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.

With the POI loader program users can set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, create custom POIs and more. Click to enlarge

A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.

Enjoy a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide with Garmin Connect Photos. Click to enlarge

Plan Ahead
nüvi 855 includes advanced navigational features to take the worry out of traveling. With route planning you can save 10 routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on the 855's wide screen. In addition, nüvi 855 automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. It also displays speed limits for highways and Interstates. A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.

Take It With You
nüvi 855's high-sensitivity internal (non flip-up) antenna gives it a sleeker, thinner design than the nüvi 600-series, making it easy to slip in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or on foot.

Go Beyond Navigation
Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 855 includes many "must have" entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, Garmin Games, alarm clock and more. With the included wireless FM transmitter, you can hear audio, including voice prompts, MP3s and audio books, through your vehicle's stereo. It's also compatible with optional FM traffic alerts or optional MSN Direct content. With photo navigation, you can download Google Panoramio pictures via our Garmin Connect Photos website and navigate to them. The 855 features Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with our free Garmin Garage where you can download custom vehicles that show your location on the map. Enhance your travel experience with optional plug-in microSD cards such as Garmin Travel Guides for detailed data on attractions.

Search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.

Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos
Using Garmin's Connect Photos Web site, you can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.

Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world
Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps
Search for photos by location name or map area boundary
Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin   Communicator
View photos in Google Earth
Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac

Send Addresses Directly from Google Maps or Mapquest
Itching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the East Coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.

1. Hook up your Garmin to the computer via its USB port
2. Search for the location you want
3. Click the Send link in the info window for the address. That will bring up a popup "Send to" form
   
4. Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the "Send" button

The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.

The process does require a small plugin, which you can get at Garmin's website. You can send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Other Features

• Auto time zone--nüvi will automatically adjust your time zone while navigating
• DEM maps--show you shaded terrain contours at various zoom levels
• Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time and more
• Built-in travel kit includes features such as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters and calculator
• High-speed PC connectivity using USB 2.0 mass storage
• Configurable vehicle icons--select fun, customized icons from www.garmingarage.com
• Standard headphone and microphone jacks
• microSD card slot for optional mapping and data storage

What's in the Box
nüvi 885, preloaded City Navigator North America NT, remote for voice activation with battery, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, lithium-ion battery, USB cable, dashboard disc, and quick start manual

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

Device	Screen Size inches (W x H)	Included Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi-Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
		Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe
nüvi 205	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 205w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 265T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 265WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 275T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 285WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free);		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 465T	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 755T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 765T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 775T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 785T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 855	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 885T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 1200	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1250	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1260T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1300	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1370T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1390T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1490T	4.4 x 2.5					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1690	3.81 x 2.25					NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service)		Photos			up to 3

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Customer Reviews

Big Name Not So Great - Roberto -
This is the only GPS unit I have ever owned or used, so maybe other companies are worse. I bought the Garmin primarily because it is supposed to be the best. If so, it is a sad commentary on GPS units. Here are my experiences after 5 months of use.

PROS:

1. Yes, it works and gets you where you want to go. Nice bright display, feels solidly built.
2. Outstanding customer service. They are very prompt on e-mail, very willing to answer questions and when I had to return a unit it was very easy and fast. Good thing they are so good because you will need customer service !

CONS:

1. Just a few weeks after I received my unit there was a software problem that made the unit unusable and I had to return it to Garmin.
2. My son's unit (I bought one for him as well) has frozen several times, as has mine, requiring you to remove and reinsert the battery.
3. Occasionally the screen is not very touch sensitive.
4. My worse complaint however is a terrible user interface. It is not intuitive, it is confusing, it is too complicated. I gave up trying to load in other maps because a) the Customer service representative said they really don't like you to load any other maps or guides other than their own and b) It is impossible to tell if a map is even loaded...there is no indication on the unit, and their fix was for me to examine the various file names on the unit, delete this one, load that one, all the while being careful not to delete the unit software that may render the unit unusable. When you try to load a map such as CityXplorer, you have to erase the others. Again, frankly I don't know if these maps ever loaded or not or even how to access them. The integration between the optional removable SD card and the unit is very confusing and I could never tell what file was where. There are many other very irritating problems with the interface that make it very difficult to use.
5. They have a suite of GPS aids such a map loader, POI loader, Base Camp, Road trip, etc. Instead of being integrated in one program, you have to download each separately, so there is no integration between any of them.

This probably would be an excellent unit if their software engineers perhaps did an internship at Apple Computer for six months or longer, to learn how to make an easy, user friendly interface. With these stand-alone units competing with cell phones, iPads, etc., they better get their act together. As I said before, maybe other companies are worse, but next time I'm going with Magellan or Tom-Tom.



Poor voice recognition - Glenn D. Merschbrock -
I have a nuvi 350 and it was great. Bought the 855 for the voice recognition. It just does not work. I have tried and my wife have tried. It just does not understand the city. If it is an easy city, not a problem. I even tried to type in the city name like the 350 and it could not find the city. Only had it on 1 trip and it looses a screen and will go back and ask you where you want to go, when that was settled long ago. It did not even remember where we were headed. I am going to keep trying and see if I can find the right combo. I really think it cool, and want to use it.



Some issues with the Garmin Nuvi 855 - Beverley J. Splane - Ontario Canada
I had a Garmin Nuvi 350 for many years and was extremely happy with all the functions. It was either stolen or I lost it so it was crucial that I replace it as soon as possible. In Canada you cannot operate a device while driving the car so I searched for a voice recognition unit, thinking that this would be the best choice of GPS units. I knew I wanted a Garmin so the only choice that I had was the Garmin Nuvi 855. Overall I am happy with the way this model gives directions, but there are a few things about it that I find very annoying. First of all, you cannot turn this unit off so the battery dies down constantly. My Nuvi 350 kept a charge for a very long time so I used to keep it in my purse at all times. Whenever I needed to look anything up, enter addresses, or needed it for biking or walking, it would always be handy and ready to go. With the Nuvi 855, you must always put it in the charger after you use it and I find that this is a big inconvenience. The other thing is, you cannot plug the car charger directly into the unit - it has to be plugged into the window mount and then put the nuvi into the mount. If you are the passenger and want to enter addresses or do any searches, it is a huge inconvenience if the unit is not fully charged. You must leave it in the mount and enter the information from there. This is my biggest complaint, and for this reason alone I would not recommend this model to anyone. The other complaints are that the speed limit feature does not work in Canada - it worked all the way from Florida to the Canadian border, but once we crossed into Canada it stopped indicating the speed limit. The volume is very low and I still haven't figured out how to increase it by downloading a fix from the internet. The price was right for the features on this model, but I am seriously thinking about returning it to Amazon, simply because of the issue with the battery dying.